Safety razor



J. C'RKNE SAFETY RAzoR` Dee-22, 1936.

2 shets-sneet 1 Filed Feb. 25, 1935 J. CRANE SAFETY RAZOR Dec. 22, 1936.

Filed Feb. 25, 1935 Patented Dec. 22, i936 ATENT OFFICE Application February 23, 1935, Serial No. 7,886 lin Great Britain April 16, 1934:

l Claims.

This invention relates to safety razors and has for its object to provide a safety razor of the kind having a reciprocating blade which is reciprocated longitudinally by cam or like mechanism from a rotary shaft mounted in the handle and driven from any suitable source of power, and also provided with facilities for honing and stropping and cleaning the blade without disconnecting the parts.

The present invention comprises a safety razor having guards on the holder and for use with single or double edged blades and provided with means for honing or stropping or to facilitate honing or stropping wherein the guards are movable away from using position to facilitate honing or stropping without removing the blade.

The various features of the invention are illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a side elevation of the complete razor, the honing device being omitted for the sake of clearness, Figure 2 a plan or top view of the same, Figure 3 a plan of the blade, Figure 4 shows diagrammatically the blade held in the holder in the reverse position for honing or stropping, Figure 5 is a side view of a honing or stropping device showing the manner of applying the unit to the razor construction, and Figure 6 is an end view of Figure 5, Figure 'l is a side elevation of the apparatus for use with double edge blades, the honing device being omitted for clearness, Figure 8 a plan View thereof, and Figure 9 is a View oi the blade as used in the form of Figure 7, and Fig. l) is a fragmentary view showing a modified form of mounting of the guard members.

In these drawings a is the handle of the razor and b a shaft rotating therein, c the lower frame which is secured in any suitable manner to the handle a. Hinged to the lower frame c at cl and c2 is an upper frame d. The free edge of the upper frame d is provided with a catch c3,

whereby the upper frame or clamping plate d holds a blade h on the lower frame c.

In the blade h is provided a hole hi having parallel sides arranged transversely to the direction of movement of the blade and against which an eccentric pin or cam bl bears; the pin or cam bl is xed on the end of the shaft b rotated by any suitable motor-preferably electric, which may be arranged in the handle or in an enlargement provided on the handle a. The blade l1, is guided during reoiprocation by slots h2, h2 cut therein at each end and arranged to slide over pins ci, ed fixed to the lower frame c. In the lower edge of the lower frame c are provided guard prongs c6 in the usual manner.

lt will thus be seen that the razor described above is of the simplest form possible with a minimum number of parts, and that the blade is held in a sufficiently rigid manner to enable shaving to be effected when required without the blade being reciprocated as in the case when the supply of power fails or is not available.

In this example the razor blade h has only one cutting edge and in order to effect honing or stropping of the blade h, the position of the blade in the holder is reversed so that its cutting edge projects beyond the back edge of the upper and lower members d, c of the frame, which form a limit for the cutting angle of the blade as indicated by the dotted lines h3 and hi. These lines indicate the relative positions of the blade and honing or stropping device during the blade sharpening operation.

One form of a honing or stropping device as illustrated by Figures 5 and 6 consists of two oppositely disposed frames icl and k2 which are hinged at 7c3 to the frame member c. The hinges k3 may be formed with inwardly extending pins or projections which may be sprung into recesses provided in the frame member c. The frames Ici and k2 of the honing or stropping device are connected together at their respectively corresponding ends by braces or ties 194, ci. In the outerrends of the frame members icl, icl are provided abrading, sharpening or honing surfaces 1ct and icl arranged at angles to each other to give the desired cutting angle to the blade h. It will be readily understood that by pressing the surfaces lci and kl alternately against the blade h during its reciprocation the desired honing or sharpening will be effected as the blade is reciprocated.

In the modication for a two edged blade as shown in Figure 7, the lower member ofthe frame c is of box-shape and has at each cornerin place of the pins ci, cil of Figure S-upwardly projecting guides ct, cl, o8, and ce which extend through corresponding slots h6 to b9 in the blade it, see Figure 9. As in the previous example, Figure 3, in the rblade h is provided a hole hl having parallel sides for engagement with the cam as at bl in Figures l and 2. This cam may be a simple crank pin or of any desired odd-sided shape to give more than one reciprocation of the blade, during each rotation of the shaft driven by the motor.

ln this example, instead of reversing the blade for honing purposes the holder c is provided with removable guards clll, cH mounted on levers cl4 and cib hinged to the ends of the holder c at cl2, cl3 so that the said guards can be turned down against the handle d and leave the edges of the blade it free for honing purposes, the honing being effected against an abrading device while being reciprocated by power if desired. The sharpening device described in connection with Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive may be utilized for sharpening a double edged bladein the construction of v the holder as shown in Fig. 7..

When the guards c|0 and cl I are turned up'into using position they are held in such position by snap or other catches between the arms cl4, c|5 and the holder frame c, and under the indentations clB in the arms cid and cI5.

The blade h is held on the lower frame member c by means of an upper plate d hinged at cl and c2 to holder frame c and provided at the opposite end with a catch or clasp c3. Y

Instead of hinging the guards cl and cH to the holder 'c they may be arranged to slide in and out of a groove or recess in the holder, or be detachable therefrom entirely as shown in Fig. l0 wherein the base c at its sides is formed with the grooves c2() to slidingly receive the pins c2I. This feature is of great importance as the convenience of not having to remove the blade when applying the stropper or cleaner will appeal to the user.

The device takes advantage of the fact that the reciprocation of the blade has the effect of increasing its operative sharpness many times depending on the speed of rotation of the driving shaft, such sharpness being dependent on the saw like action of the fine irregular teeth on the cutting edge of the blade, as seen under a powerful microscope. Moreover by moving the blade only, and not a frame carrying the blade, the power required is at a minimum, as the blade is very light. In one form of the device the contact pressure between the frame and the blade may be made constant by interposing one or more springs between the upper plate and the blade.

Thus in a razor made in accordance with the present invention there is achieved a maximum economy in manufacture, a minimum of driving power required, and a simplicity of construction of blade and frame, and the stropping may be eected in razors using a single or double edged blade by making the guard removable.

The removable guards, enable the blade-while still in the holder and detached from the motorto be placed in contact with a rotary stropper'or honer which has been connected with the motor and driven thereby.

What I claim and Adesire toi secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a safety razor of the class described, the combination of a handle, a blade holder connected thereto including means for holding'the blade in shaving or sharpening position, a honing unit swingably mounted on said holder and having honing surfaces arranged for coaction with'the opposite faces of the blade, and'means for reciprocating the blade during either shaving operation or sharpening of the blade.

2. In a safety razor of the class described, the combination of a handle, a blade holder connected thereto including means for holding the blade in shaving or sharpening position, a honing unit detachably connected to the blade holder so as to swing transversely relative tothe holder, and abrading means on said unit adapted to be alternately swung into contact with the opposite sides of the edge of the blade for sharpening the same.

3. In a safety razor of the class described, the combination of a handle, a blade holder connected thereto including means for holding the blade in shaving or sharpening position, and a honing unit pivotally mounted on the holder to swing transversely relative thereto, said unit comprising side members arranged at opposite sides of the blade,

sides of the edge of the blade for sharpening purposes.

4. In a safety razor of the class described, the combination of a handle, a blade holder connected thereto, including means for holding the blade in shaving or sharpening position, a honing unit pivotally mounted on the holder to swing transversely relative thereto, said unit comprising side members arranged at opposite sides of the blade, each of said side members including an abrading element arranged to contact with the respective Sides of the edge of the blade for sharpening purposes, and power means for reciprocating the blade during such contacting relation.

5. A safety razor comprising a blade, a holder for the blade, means for holding the blade in the holder in using and sharpening position, movable guards on the holder, a removable blade sharpening device pivoted to the holder, two oppositely disposed rockable blade sharpening members mounted on the sharpening device, the guards being movable away from the blade to a position in the holder enabling the blade sharpening device to be rocked about its pivot in the holder to bring it into contact with opposite sides of the blade alternatively.

6. A safety razor comprising a blade, a holder for the blade, means for holding the blade in the holder in using and sharpening position, guards on the holder, `a removable blade sharpening device pivoted to the holder, two oppositely disposed rockable sharpening members on the sharpenring device, means for reciprocating the blade inthe'holder during shaving and sharpening, the guards being movable away from using position in the holder to a position facilitating sharpening of the blade without removing it from the holder, and the removable'blade sharpening device being rockable about its pivot to engage opposite sides of the blade alternately.

7. 4A safety razor comprising 'a blade, a holder for the blade, means forholding the blade in the holder in using and sharpening position, guards sliding in grooves in the holder, a removable blade sharpening device pivoted to the holder,

two oppositely disposed rockable sharpening members on the sharpening device, means for reciprocating the blade in the holder during shavingand sharpening, the guards being movable away in their grooves from using positionin the holder'to a position facilitating sharpening of the `blade without removing itirom the holder, and

the removable blade sharpening device being -rockable about its pivot to engage opposite sides of the blade alternately.

8. A safetyrazorof the class described, comprising aholder for-use with single or double edged blades, blade reciprocating means, and a 'blade guard'having means for connecting the guard to the'holder, ysaid means being shiftable on the holder to-dispose and sustain the guard-in vinoperative relation to the blade away from using position to facilitate-honing or stropping and cleaning said bladewhile using the same blade Vguards separably movable away from using positionfto-facilitate honing or stropping and-cleaning said blade while using the same-blade recip- Lrc'cating mechanism as used in shaving and without removing the blade, combined with means for A'attaching a honing 'device to the holder, saidi honing device comprising oppositely-disposed, removable rockable honing members xed in a frame adapted to be pivotally connected to the holder.

10. A safety razor of the class described comprising a holder for use with single or double edged blades, blade reciprocating means for reciprocating the blade in the holder during shaving and sharpening, guards separably removable away from using position to facilitate honing or stropping and cleaning of said blade While using the same blade reciprocating mechanism as used in shaving and without removing the blade, and detachable means for attaching a sharpening device to the holder when the guards are moved from using position.

JOSHUA CRANE. 

